Brewers: 10 Brewers who could be on the move by trade deadline
By Phil Watson
Jun 12, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Brewers right fielder Ryan Braun (8) scores a run as Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos (40) catches the throw during the third inning at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
2. Ryan Braun, OF
Even as hit slash line rests at or near career-low levels, Ryan Braun has gotten some pop back this year after a couple of procedures to freeze the troublesome inflamed nerve in the base of his right thumb that plagued him in 2013 and 2014.
Braun is slashing .262/.331/.491 this season, with 13 homers and 41 RBI in 60 games. The 31-year-old still has some speed, as well, stealing six bases in seven tries.
But with the former MVP, there is some … ahem … baggage that might have to be addressed.
The first of those is purely financial. Braun has a five-year, $105 million contract extension that doesn’t even kick in until next season, when he’s scheduled to earn $19 million. He’s getting $12 million this year on the last season of his old deal.
And then there’s the Biogenesis thing. Other players have rebounded from the scandal—Nelson Cruz most notably. But other than Alex Rodriguez, no player came out of the episode looking worse than Braun, whose defense for a failed performance-enhancing drug test in 2011 was exposed as untruthful.
As one GM told Heyman, teams would be “scared to death of the P.R. and the contract.”
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